Part I: Douglas Weil, Part II: Bill Kolender

A growing number of states have passed laws making it easier for people to carry handguns and other concealed weapons. The authors of the following two-part viewpoint criticize these “carrying concealed weapons” (CCW) laws. Part I is by Douglas Weil, the research director for the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, a gun control research and advocacy group. Weil argues that lax background checks result in the arming of unqualified and dangerous people. Studies that claim that loosened gun restrictions result in lower violent crime rates are flawed, he asserts. In Part II, Bill Kolender argues against a proposed California law making it easier for people to carry concealed weapons. He contends that such a measure will not increase public safety and may result...